Continuous transport installation



Sept. 10, 1968 e. BOULADON ET AL 3,400,665

CONTINQOUS TRANSPORT INSTALLATION Filed July 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1m6 vm Mm Mv INVENTORS GABRIEL BOULADON 8- BY PAUL ZUPPIGER GRAY, MASE &DUNSON ATTORNEYS 9 'wha G. BOULADON ETAL 3,400,665

CONTINUOUS TRANSPORT INSTALLATION Sept. 10, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJuly 29, 1965 INVENTORS GABRIEL BOULADON &

PAUL ZUPPIGER BY GRAY, MASE & DUNSON ATTORNEYS MWZW Sept. 10, 1968 a.BOULADON ET AL 3,400,665

CONTINUOUS TRANSPORT INSTALLATION I Filed July 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet5 1. 4 i 29 75 s s5 2 i 3 I 6 NO FIG. 5

l-i -E 42 ll l 43 65 67 l/ 37 [I 46 I 38 FIG. 3 36 I I 39 INVENTORSGABRIEL BOULADON &

PAUL ZUPPIGER BY GRAY, MASE & DUNSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice3,400,665 CONTINUOUS TRANSPORT INSTALLATION Gabriel Bouladon and PaulZuppiger, Geneva, Switzerland, assignors to The Battelle DevelopmentCorp. Filed July 29, 1965, Ser. No. 475,794 Claims priority, applicationSwitzerland, Sept. 4, 1964, 11,555/64 16 Claims. (Cl. 104-25) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Passengers are carried at constant speed in an endlessarticulated succession of transport units each having a square C-shapedcross section, suspended from an aerial rail, and propelled by fixedlymounted drive wheels bearing against a longiudinal surface on the lowerinner side of the unit. Between stations, the outer sides of thetransport units are closed by a portion of an endless flexible wall.

The present invention relates to a transport installation comprisingloading and unloading stations and horizontal transport apparatusserving these stations, said transport apparatus including a successionof platform transport units and guide and drive means imparting to saidtransport units continuous motion along a closed circuit and obligingsaid transport units successively to pass past these stations.

The transport installation according to the invention is characterizedin that the transport units each include a lateral main wall at thebottom of which is secured said platform and at the top of which issecured a ceiling, the assembly forming a rigid C-shaped chassis, inthat these transport units are articulated to one another by couplingdevices disposed in the plane of the main walls of the transport unitsto form at least one train, and in that the guide and drive meansinclude a closed loop aerial rail from which are suspended the transportunits through the intermediary of suspension devices connected to thecoupling devices and include propulsion units spaced along the circuitbeneath said rail, said propulsion units successively cooperating with aportion of each transport unit lengthwise thereof and near the lower endof its main wall.

The attached drawings illustrate by way of example one embodiment of thetransport installation according to the invention. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of this mbodiment.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective on an enlarged scale and in greater detail aportion of the installation depicted in FIG. 1, the transport apparatusbeing partly broken away.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of a transportunit, between two other pariially shown units, together with certainadjoining details.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3, partly broken away.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the transport unit shown in FIG. 3 andshows, partly in section, the guide and drive means.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the driving apparatus visible in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the means for opening and closing thetransport units.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a modification of the means in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an elevational cross-section of the modification in FIG. 9

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing additionalapparatus that may be included in the transport installation.

3,400,665 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 The transport installation shown inFIG. I, intended to transport people, comprises several loading andunloading stations, such as A, B, C, D, E, and F, served by a transportapparatus T including a succession of transport units U and includingguide and drive means imposing to said transport units continuous motionof, in the present instance, constant speed, along a closed circuit.

The guide and drive means, which are visible in FIGS. 2 and 5, includean endless aerial rail 1 carried by Spaced columns, such as 2 (FIG. 2),resting on the ground. This rail, which forms the closed circuit, has,as shown in FIG. 1, two return sections 1A and 1B forming terminalloops, and two intermediate sections consisting of closely set parallelportions lCa and 1Da disposed side by side and rigidly connected to oneanother, of crossing portions 1Cb and 1D!) passing one beneath theother, and of spaced parallel portions ICC and 1Dc. As shown in FIG. 5,the rail is of substantially I-shaped cross-section (capital gamma) witha leg 3, an arm 4 at the top of leg 3, a horizontal flange 5 at thebottom of leg 3, and a vertical flange 6 at the end of arm 4, theseflanges 5 and 6 being turned towards one another to form therebetweensubstantially a right angle. Thus, the rigidly connected rail portionsIQ: and lDa have a common crosssection substantially in the form of atwo-legged T (FIG. 2). Moreover, the guide and drive means also includepropulsion units, such as P, which will be described below.

The transport units U each comprise, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a lateralmain wall 10 at the bottom of which is secured a platform 11 and at thetop of which is secured a ceiling 12, the assembly forming a rigid C-shaped chassis. The transport units are articulated to one another bycoupling devices K disposed in the plane of the main Walls to form, inthe present embodiment, a sin- .gle endless train. Each of thesecoupling devices, linking two adjacent transport units, includes aconnecting bar 14 at the ends of which are fixedly mounted balls 15 and16 inserted into sockets formed in the lower and contiguous corners ofthe main walls 10 of these two adjacent transport units to form ball andsocket joints so that the train may be folded, to a certain extent, bothin a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane.

To enable folding of the train in both the horizontal and the verticalplanes, the main wall 10, the platform 11 and the ceiling 12 of eachtransport unit have the shape of an isosceles trapezium, the larger baseof the main wall being constituted by the bottom edge thereof and thelarger bases of the platform and of the ceiling being constituted by theedges thereof that are rigidly secured to the main wall. Whereas thelarger base of the ceilings 12 has the same length as that of the smallbase of main walls 10, the larger base of platforms 11 has a lengthslightly greater than that of the larger base of the main walls in orderto reduce to a minimum the space between the platforms. The spacesbetween the main walls 10, the platforms 11 and the ceilings 12 arefilled by extensible member which, in the case of the spaces between-themain walls 10 and the ceilings 12, consist of bellows 17, and which, inthe case of the spaces between the platforms 11, consist of one or morecarpets 18 of elastic material extending over the entire length of thetrain. As shown in FIG. 5, the platform 11 of each transport unitcomprises a raised portion 11a, covered by the carpet 18, above whichare provided seats 19 secured to the main wall 10 and having handles 20which standing passengers may hold on to.

The transport units are suspended from the aerial rail 1 via suspensiondevices L connected to the coupling devices K. Each suspension device Lincludes a vertical rod 25 the lower end of which is rigid with themiddle portion ofthe connecting bar 14 of the coupling device K to whichthe suspension device is connected. The upper portion of rod 25 forms astirrup 25a in which is mounted a vertical supporting wheel 26 restingon a horizontal rolling surface 27 formed by the upper faceof-railflange 5. The suspension device includes moreover a horizontal retainingwheel 28 mounted on the upper end .of rod 25 and bearing against avertical rolling surface 29 formed by the inner face of rail flange 6,these surfaces 27 and 29 being thus protected by rail arm 4.

In order that the wheels 26 may be located-below the level of ceilings12, each main wall has an inclined portion 10a, this arrangementenabling the height of the rail 1 to be reduced in relation to theground S, which arrangement is particularly. advantageous when the transport apparatus is required to pass through tunnels, such as M (FIG. 2).Each suspension device L includes also two retaining bars 30 and 31articulated at one end on the upper end of rod underneath horizontalwheel 28 and at the opposite end of the contiguous ends of the inneredges of the ceilings of the two adjacent transport units. Thearticulationsof bars and 31 have sufiicient play to allow folding of thetrain in a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane. These barspreferably form an acute angle therebetween. As shown in FIG. 5, theaxis of rotation of the horizontal retaining wheel 28 and the verticalsupporting wheel 26 are contained substantially in the same verticalplane as that containing the coupling device K and the vertical portionof the main walls 10 of the transport units connected by this couplingdevice.

The propulsion units P of the guide and drive means each include anelectric motor 35 having a casing rotatably mounted through theintermediary of roller bearings 36 and 37 in a fixed support 38 formed,in the present instance, by the orifice of a pit 39 in which is housedthe motor 35. The rotor of motor 35 drives a horizontal driving wheel 40provided with a tire of a material having a high coeflicient offriction, such as rubber, and acting on a bearing surface consisting ofa smooth friction surface 42 formed by the inner face of a flange 43disposed underneath the lower end of each main wall 10 with which it isrigid, this flange 43 extend ing over the entire length of eachtransport unit.

To reduce to a minmum the spaces between adjacent flanges, which spacesare required to enable folding of the train, these flanges are disposedas closely as possible to the ball and socket joints 15 and 16 of thecoupling devices K. The outer face of each flange 43 forms a smoothfriction surface 44 with which cooperates a reaction roller 45 rotatablymounted on a member 46 rigid with the casing of motor 35. Thus, when therotor of motor 35 drives driving wheel 40, the reaction exerted on thecasing of motor 35 tends to drive the latter in the opposite directionthereby enabling roller 45 to press flange 43 against the driving wheel40 and hence to increase the adherence between the latter and the flange(see FIG. 7).

Along the closely set portions IQ: and 1Da of rail 1, the propulsionunits P serve to drive both the transport units traveling along sectionlCa and the transport units traveling in the opposite direction alongsection 1Da. To this end, these common propulsion units comprisemoreover a second reaction roller 47 rotatably mounted on an extensionof member 46 and bearing against the outer face of the flanges of thetransport units traveling along section lDa.

The guide and drive means moreover preferably comprise bearing pointsother than 'those provided by the driving wheels 40 of the propulsionunits P. These bearing points (not shown) may be formed by horizontalwheels or rollers freely rotatable on fixed vertical axes disposedbetween the propulsion units and cooperating with the inner faces 42 offlanges 43. According to a modified constructional form, shown in FIG.11, the transport units are each provided with a horizontal roller 85mounted in the center of the main wall 10 and coop- Cit Ill

crating with a fixed bearing rail 86 disposed at a level slightly higherthan that of the driving wheels 40. In order that the bearing rail 86should not interfere with the drive of the transport units by thedriving wheels 40, the lower portion of the bearing rail 86 isinterrupted, as indicated at 87, in the region of the driving wheels 40.

The closure of the outer sides of the transport units traveling betweentwo consecutive loading and unloading stations is ensured by-flexibleendless walls 50.

As shown in FIG. 1, the loading and unloading stations in the presentembodiment are arranged in register in pairs, either face to face, as inthe case of stations A, B, and C, D, or back to back, as in the case ofstations E, F. This arrangement of the stations makes it possible to usethe flexible walls 50 not only for the closure of transport unitstraveling in one direction between two consecutive stations along railsection 1C, but also for the closure of the transport units traveling inthe opposite direction between the two corresponding consecutivestations along rail section 1D. The flexible walls 50 thus consist, atany instant, of two operative portions 50a and 50b secured by theiredges to the outer edges of ceilings 12 and of platforms 11 of thetransport units and thus moving with them, and of two inoperativeportions 50c and. 50a forming end loops extending around, and in thepresent instance beneath, the transport units traveling in oppositedirections to connect the operative portions 50a and 50b.

The means for securing the edges of an operative flexible wall portionto the outer edges of the ceilings 12 and of the platforms 11 of thetransport units at the exit of a loading and unloading station and forreleasing the edges of this operative portion from the outer edges ofthe ceilings 12 and of the platforms 11 at the entry of the next stationmay assume different forms. One of these forms, depicted in FIG. 8,consists of sliding clasp fasteners. To this end, an endless strip 51provided with hooking members 52 is secured to the outer edges of theceilings 12 and extends over the entire length of the train. Similarly,an endless strip 53 provided with hooking members 54 is secured to theouter edges of the platforms 1-1 and also extends over the entire lengthof the train. These strips respectively cooperate with an endless strip55 provided with hooking members 56 and secured to the upper edge ofeach flexible wall 50 and with an endless strip 57 provided with hookingmembers 53 and secured to the lower edge of each flexible wall 50.

The hooking and unhooking of members 52 and 56, on the one hand, and ofmembers 54 and 58, on the other hand, are respectively carried out byfixed sliding clasps 60 and 61 and by fixed sliding clasps 62 and 63;clasps 60 and 62 being located at the exit of a station and clasps 61and 63 being located at the entry of the next station in a positionwhich is reversed in relation to that of clasps 60 and 62. Strips 51 and53 are provided along their inner faces with projecting portions (notshown) lodged in grooves 64 and 65 respectively formed along the outeredges of ceilings 12 and of platforms 11 of each transport unit (FIGS.3, 5). These grooves 64 and 65 enable the projecting portions of strips51 and 53 to slide therein but not to become laterally disengagedtherefrom. However, in order to localize any sliding movement of strips51 and 53 along the train, anchoring points 66 and 67 are provided oneach transport unit.

A second manner of ensuring the closure and the open-.

ing of. the transport units, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, consists inproviding the edges of the flexible walls 50 with elasticbeads 55' whichare pressed into grooves 64 and 65 upon leaving a station and which arethen extracted therefrom upon entering the next station, the insertingand the extraction of the beads being carried out by means of rollersand 81 rotating on fixed axes.

Along the terminal loops 1A and 1B of rail 1, the closure of thetransport units is also ensured by flexible walls 59 similar to walls50, the means for securing these walls to the transport units and fordetaching them therefrom being the same as for Walls 50. In this case,each flexible wall 59 comprises only one operative portion extendingaround the loop and only one inoperative portion connecting the ends ofthis single operative portion.

The installation illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises moreovertransfer apparatuses N to enable passengers to board the transport unitsof the transport apparatus T, or to leave the latter, at the stations,the transport units U being assumed to travel at a relatively highconstant speed.

Each transfer apparatus N comprises a succession of vehicles 70 having aplatform 71, and guide and drive means imposing to these vehiclescontinuous motion of variable speed along a closed circuit. Thesevehicles, of oblong shape, appear sideways at the end of a boardingstage 72 where they travel at low speed. When the vehicles have movedaway from stage 72, they are'caused to slide relatively to one anotherto pass from a side to side position to an end to end position Whilemaintaining constant orientation. When passing from the side to sideposition to the end to end position the speed of the vehicles isincreased to reach that of the transport units U of the transportapparatus T thusenabling passengers to pass from the vehicles '70 to theunits U or vice versa without difficulty. The speed of the vehicles isthen decreased by causing the latter to pass by relative sliding fromtheir end to end position to their side to side position. In this latterposition, the vehicles are brought to a landing stage 73 '(FIG. 1) tothen disappear. Such transfer apparatuses serving at the same time tworegistering stations, are described and illustrated in United StatesPatent 3,236,191 (application Ser. No. 326,523, filed Nov. 27, 1963).See in particular FIGS. 15 and 16 of this patent. In this patent, thevariable speed drive of the vehicles is obtained by means of varyingpitch screws. This drive can also be achieved by the variable speed loadmoving means described and illustrated in United States Patent 3,292,769(application Ser. No. 368,551, filed May 19, 1964).

To illuminate the interior of the transport units, the ceilings thereofare each formed with a transparent portion 75 (FIG. 4), the illuminationbeing achieved, in a tunnel, by incandescent tubes arranged end to endand secured to the roof of the tunnel. Moreover, the flexible wall alsoincludes a transparent endless band 76 (FIG. 8).

The installation illustrated in the drawings and described hereinbeforemay be modified in various Ways. For example, the transport units,instead of constituting a single endless train, can constitute severalseparate trains. In this case, the transfer apparatus, when provided,operates either discontinuously and in synchronism with the passage ofthe transport apparatus trains, or continuously but with barriers orgates provided at the entry of the transfer apparatus and the openingand closure of which are controlled by the passage of the transportapparatus trains. Furthermore, the supports 38 for the motors 35 ofpropulsion units P, instead of being formed by the orifices of pits 39,can be formed by members directly secured to columns 2.

While the forms of the invention disclosed herein constitute presentlypreferred embodiments, it is not intended to describe or mention all ofthe possible equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It isto be understood that the disclosure herein is illustrative rather thanlimiting and that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A transport installation comprising loading and unloading stationsand horizontal transport apparatus serving these stations, saidtransport apparatus including a succession of platform transport unitsand guide and drive means imposing to said transport units continuousmotion along a closed circuit and obliging said transport unitssuccessively to pass past these stations, each transport unit includinga lateral main wall at the bottom of which is secured said platform andat the top of which is secured a ceiling, the assembly forming a rigidC-shaped chassis, the transport units being articulated to one anotherby coupling devices disposed in the plane of the main walls of thetransport units to form at least one train, and the guide and drivemeans including a closed loop aerial rail from which are suspended thetransport units through the intermediary of suspension devices connectedto the coupling devices, and propulsion units spaced along the circuitbeneath said rail, said propulsion units successively cooperating with aportion of each transport unit near the lower end of its main wall;

wherein each propulsion unit includes a horizontal driving wheel, andsaid cooperating portion of each transi port unit provides a smoothfriction surface successively coming into bearing relationship againstthe driving wheel of each propulsion unit; and

wherein said cooperating portion of each transport unit is formed by aflange disposed beneath the lower end of the main wall in the directionof movement of the transport unit and rigid therewith, one of the facesof said flange constituting said smooth friction surface, and eachpropulsion unit includes a motor the rotor of which drives said drivingwheel and the stator of which is rotatably mounted in a fixed support,and includes at least one horizontal reaction roller carried by a memberrigid with the stator, said reaction roller cooperating with a smoothsurface constituted by the other face of the flange to press said flangeagainst the driving wheel.

2. A transport installation according to claim 1, wherein the railincludes at least two closely set portions, disposed side by side, andthe propulsion units disposed beneath these portions are common theretoand capable of driving, through said driving wheel, both in onedirection, the transport units traveling along one of said portions, andin the opposite direction, the units traveling along the other of saidportions.

3. A transport installation comprising loading and unloading stationsand horizontal transport apparatus serving these stations, saidtransport apparatus including a succession of platform transport unitsand guide and drive means imposing to said transport units continuousmotion along a closed circuit and obliging said transport unitssuccessively to pass past these stations, each transport unit includinga lateral main wall at the bottom of which is secured said platform andat the top of which is secured a ceiling, the assembly forming a rigidC-shaped chassis, the transport units being articulated to one anotherby couling devices disposed in the plane of the main walls of thetransport units to form at least one train, and the guide and driveincluding a closed loop aerial rail from which are suspended thetransport units through the intermediary of suspension devices connectedto the coupling devices, and propulsion units spaced along the circuitbeneath said rail, said propulsion units successively coop crating witha portion of each transport unit near the lower end of its main wall;

wherein each coupling device connecting two adjacent transport unitsincludes a linking member connected to the lower and contiguous portionsof the main walls of said two units through ball and socket joints; and

wherein the suspension device connected to said coupling device includesa vertical rod the lower end of which is rigid with the middle portionof said linking member, a vertical supporting wheel resting on theaerial rail and mounted on the upper portion of the rod, and tworetaining members which are articulated at one end on the rod and arearticulated at the other end on the upper and contiguous portions ofsaid transport units so as to form therebetween an acute angle.

4. A transport installation according to claim 3, Wherein thearticulations of the retaining members have sufficient play to allowfolding of the train in a horizontal plane and in vertical plane.

5. A transport installation according to claim 3, wherein saidsuspension device further includes a horizontal retaining wheel mountedon the upper end of the rod, the axis of rotation of said horizontalretaining wheel, the vertical supporting wheel and the ball and socketjoints of the coupling device to which is connected said suspensiondevice being contained in a common vertical plane, and the aerial railproviding a horizontal rolling surface on which rests said verticalwheel and a vertical rolling surface against which bears said retainingwheel.

6. A transport installation according to claim 5, wherein the rail has asubstantially r-shaped cross-section (capi tal gamma) with asubstantially vertical leg, a horizontal arm at the top of the leg, ahorizontal flange at the bottom of the leg and a vertical flange at theend of the arm, said flanges being turned towards one another to formtherebetween substantially a right angle, the upper face of thehorizontal flange constituting said horizontal rolling surface and theinner face of the vertical flange constituting said vertical rollingsurface.

7. A transport installation according to claim 6, comprising a pair ofclosely set rail portions, disposed side by side, rigid with one anotherand having a common cross-section substantially in the form of atwo-legged T.

8. A transport installation according to claim 5, wherein each main wallhas an inclined portion at its upper end, providing space wherein thesupporting wheel and the retaining wheel may be located below the levelof the ceiling and thus enabling the height of the rail to be minimizedin relation to the ground.

9. A transport installation comprising loading and unloading stationsand horizontal transport apparatus serving these stations, saidtransport apparatus including a succession of platform transport unitsand guide and drive means imposing to said transport units continuousmotion along a closed circuit and obliging said transport unitssuccessively to pass past these stations, each transport unit includinga lateral main wall at the bottom of which is secured said platform andat the top of which is secured a ceiling, the assembly forming a rigidC-shaped chassis, the transport units being articulated to one anotherby coupling devices disposed in the plane of the main walls of thetransport units to form at least one train, and the guide and drivemeans including a closed loop aerial rail from which are suspended thetransport units through the intermediary of suspension devices connectedto the coupling devices, and propulsion units spaced along the circuitbeneath said rail, said propulsion units successively cooperating with aportion of each transport unit near the lower end of its main wall;

wherein said train is a single endless train traveling at constantspeed, and the outer sides of the transport units traveling between twoconsecutive stations are closed by a portion of an endless flexiblewall, said portion being secured to the outer edges of the ceilings andof the platforms of said transport units at the exit of the first ofsaid two stations and detached from said edges at the entry of thesecond of said two stations.

10. A transport installation according to claim 9, wherein a firstendless strip provided with hooking members is secured to the outeredges of the ceilings and extends over the entire length of the train,and a second endless strip provided with hooking members is secured tothe outer edges of the platforms and also extends over the entire lengthof the train, these strips respectively cooperating with a third endlessstrip provided with hooking members and secured to the upper edge of theflexible wall and with a fourth endless strip provided with hookingmembers and secured to the lower edge of the flexible wall, the hookingand unhooking of the hooking members being respectively carried out by afirst pair of fixed sliding clasps located at the exit of one stationand by a second pair of fixed sliding clasps located at the entry of thenext station in a position that is reversed in relation to that of thefirst pair of clasps, the first and second strips being provided alongtheir inner faces with projecting portions lodged in groovesrespectively formed along the outer edges of the ceilings and of theplatforms of each transport unit, the grooves enabling the projectingportions of the strips to slide therein but not to become laterallydisengaged therefrom, and anchoring points being provided on eachtransport unit to localize any sliding movements of the strips along thetrain..

11. A transport installation according to claim 9, wherein at least oneopening extends along the outer edge of the ceiling and along the outeredge of the platform of each transport unit, each Opening communicatingwith a groove parallel therewith and expanded in height behind theopening, at least one elastic bead extending along the upper edge andalong the lower edge of the flexible wall and shaped to fit snugly in anadjacent said groove, means for pressing each bead into the adjacentgroove upon leaving said first station, and means for extracting eachbead from its groove upon entering said second station.

12. A transport installation according to claim 11, wherein saidpressing means and said extracting means comprise rollers rotatable onfixed axes.

13. A transport installation comprising loading and unloading stationsand horizontal transport apparatus serving these stations, saidtransport apparatus including a succession of platform transport unitsand guide and drive means imposing to said transport units continuousmotion along a closed circuit and obliging said transport unitssuccessively to pass past these stations, each transport unit includinga lateral main wall at the bottom of which is secured said platform andat the top of which is secured a ceiling, the assembly forming a rigidC-shaped chassis, the transport units being articulated to one anotherby coupling devices disposed in the plane of the main walls of thetransport units to form at least one train, and the guide and drivemeans including a closed loop aerial rail from which are suspended thetransport units through the intermediary of suspension devices connectedto the coupling devices, and propulsion units spaced along the circuitbeneath said rail, said propulsion units successively cooperating with aportion of each transport unit near the lower end of its main wall;

wherein the rail includes two return sections forming tenminal loops,and two intermediate sections along which the loading and unloadingstations are arranged in register in pairs, said train being a singleendless train traveling at constant speed, the outer sides of thetransport units traveling along one of said intermediate sections from afirst station towards the next station being closed by a first portionof an endless flexible wall, said first portion being secured to theouter edges of the ceilings and of the platforms of the transport unitstraveling along said first intermediate portion at the exit of saidfirst station and detached at the entry of the next station, and theouter sides of the transport units traveling in the opposite directionalong the other of said two intermediate sections from a third station,in register with said next station of said first intermediate section,towards a fourth station in register with said first station beingclosed by a second portion of said endless flexible wall, said secondportion being secured to the outer edges of the ceilings and of theplatforms of the transport units traveling along the second intermediatesection and detached at the entry of said fourth station, said walldefining two end loops connecting the adjacent ends of said wallportions. 7

14. A transport installation according to claim 13, wherein the outersides of the transport units traveling along each return section areclosed by a flexible wall comprising an operative portion extendingaround the terminal loop and secured to the outer edges of the ceilingsand of the platforms and an inoperative portion con meeting the ends ofthe operative portion.

15. A transport installation according to claim 3, wherein the ceilingand the platform of each transport unit have the shape of an isoscelestrapezium with its large base on the inner side of the transport unitand the spaces between the main walls, the ceilings and the platforms ofthe transport units are filled -by extensible members.

16. A transport installation according to claim 15, wherein the mainwall of each transport unit has the shape of an isosceles trapezium withits large base at the bottom, the large base and the small base of thetrapezoidal ceiling of each transport unit being smaller than the largebase and the small base of the trapezoidal platform of each transportunit, the large base of the ceiling having substantially the same lengthas that of the small base of the main wall and the large base of theplatform References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 116,059 6/1871 Humphreys104-118 1,632,569 6/ 1927 Taylor 104167 2,865,306 12/1958 Bock 10582,905,100 9/ 1959 Kendall 104--25 3,136,266 6/ 1964 Seidman 104-25ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

D. F. WORTH, Assistant Examiner.

